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McCall prepares for construction
of new east-west route

McCall residents anticipating an new way to get from east to west – or west to east – paused to celebrate their future Thursday. They gathered to help break ground on construction of the McCall East-West Loop that will provide a new Payette River crossing and local arterial.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place on the east bank of the scenic Payette River.

McCall Mayor Kirk Eimers, State Rep. Ken A. Roberts, ITD Director Dave Ekern and Transportation Board Chairman Charles L. Winder offered their perspectives on the impending project and talked of its benefits to the McCall community.

This new east-west connection will provide additional emergency and public service access west of the North Fork of the Payette River and improve downtown safety.

The purpose of the new route is not to replace Idaho 55 as a through highway but to ease congestion for local traffic.

“This project will extend Deinhard Lane to the intersection of West Valley and Boydstun Street,” said ITD Project Engineer Bruce MacEwan. “Because this will be an entirely new roadway, there will be virtually no impacts to motorists traveling on Idaho 55 and all other major roads in McCall during construction.”

The loop consists of one mile of new roadway, a bridge over the North Fork of the Payette River and three acres of wetland mitigation. M.A. DeAtley Construction of Clarkston, Wash., is the contractor on this $6.7 million project. Construction should be completed late next summer (2005).

Photo captions: Special guests (top photo) lowered their shovels and turned the earth to formally begin the McCall East-West loop project. Above right, McCall Mayor Kirk Eimers talked about the importance of the project to McCall residents and visitors.

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